Scott Dunlap's blog of trail running, ultrarunning, triathlon, and other life adventures. I enjoy the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of outdoor events and the chance to meet cool people. This blog contains interviews, research, original fiction, new product ideas, and all things trail running.

Turning Beer Into a Relay Event (New York Times)

(Endurance relay racers in Tuscon, photo courtesy of James Mandolini and the NY Times)

The opening paragraph says it all:

"WHEN Tara Ruotolo recruited far-flung pals and friends of friends to run the 197-mile Nike Hood to Coast relay race in northwest Oregon, she didn’t choose her partners in grime based on talent or tenacity alone. Her main criteria? Whether or not she wanted to spend an entire day huddled in a van with them, catching up on who’s dating whom and lending clean togs to forgetful teammates."

11 comments:

Yeah - my thoughts exactly! Just cuz Nike took over the event doesn't mean they have pillows now. The two times I did it were the most sleep deprived fun I'd had in a long time! Oh yeah - and the (cheap) beer really tasted good at the end!

When I started biking due to a running injury, I wondered why these bikers wear such weird outfits. I understand the purpose of being seen by cars but some of the loud colors are just too outrageous. This photo is exactly what I have in mind when I thought "You guys looks like a bunch of clowns!" Mind you, I am aware of the sort of shenanigans that happen at popular 10k races. You just got to laugh at each other.

Have you ever been to the start of a cross-country race where a huge pack of runners get funnelled into a narrow course? They elbow each other like mad and everyone trips and goes flying. I don't think helmets would be too outrageous.

However, I find it crazy that they're running with biking shoes. They're so stiff that you might as well be racing in wooden clogs.

It's probably the start of a 24 HR MTB race. Most of them start with a "Le Mans" style running start for a few hundred meters to stretch out the pack. Many of the courses have narrow trails to begin, and it helps a bit to alleviate the initial bottleneck for the faster competitors.

Those relays are a lot of fun. I did Hood to Coast once and the Calistoga to Santa Cruz Relay 3 times. All of them with the same group of people. I agree, less about talent more about personality. These were a great group of people. My enduring memory at HTC was sleeping on the roof our van at a rest site. A cool night, stars, and the headlamps of the runners as they ran by. The ground on the field was too damp for sleeping bags.

About Me

I'm a technology entrepreneur who took up trail running and triathloning back in 2001 to get off the work treadmill and see a bit more of the outdoors. I also love to eat, so the exercise helps me justify those extra helpings. ;oP I'm always interested in learning more about trail running - please comment and link away!

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